Patents Examined by Christopher Mahoney
  • Patent number: 8774615
    Abstract: A lens barrel which can be extended over a larger amount without increasing the length of the lens barrel in a collapsed state. A movable barrel having a cam formed on an inner periphery thereof is movable in an optical axis direction. The movable barrel is extended toward an object in a shooting state, and is housed in a collapsed state. A lens holding frame holds a first lens group disposed closest to an object side of lens groups arranged in the optical axis direction. The lens holding frame including a fitting portion for slidably fitting to the cam is capable of moving in the optical axis direction, following a profile line of the cam. Barrier blades are disposed on the object side of the first lens group. A barrier drive ring is connected to the lens holding frame is rotatable to open and close the barrier blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke Fukai
  • Patent number: 8774616
    Abstract: The present invention provides an interchangeable lens mounted on a camera body in an exchangeable manner, and the interchangeable lens includes: an optical system in which a state of a subject light flux incident to the mounted camera body is adjustable by changing an optical state; a contact position detecting unit with a detection plane, which detects a contact state including a contact and a contact position of a finger of a photographer, to detect a change in a contact position on the detection plane in an approximately same direction as an optical axis direction of the optical system; and a lens controller to control an optical state of the optical system according to a contact state of the finger including the contact position detected by the contact position detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventor: Koichi Nakata
  • Patent number: 8767302
    Abstract: A laminated optical disk, applied for lighting system or solar energy system, includes a plurality of annular lenses, a base and a circular light guiding unit. The annular lenses are arranged in order from center to outside to form a disk-structure. Each annular lens has a light-input curved surface and a light-output curved surface respectively matching the different thickness of the base. The light-input curved surface is opposite to the center. The light-output curved surface is opposite to the light-input curved surface, and facing to the center. The light is incident on the light-input curved surface, refracted and tended to concentrate by the light-input curved surface. Besides, the light exiting from the annular lens is to be refracted to the direction of the center by the light-output curved surface. The base of the laminated optical disk can significantly improve the light leakage problem by different annular lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Jong-Woei Whang, Chieh-Jen Hsiao, Meng-Che Tsai, Chung-Wei Wang, Ya-Hui Chang
  • Patent number: 8757905
    Abstract: A conversion adapter apparatus is provided that connects a camera body and an interchangeable lens. The conversion adapter apparatus includes a camera body side installation portion to receive a camera body, a lens side installation portion to receive an interchangeable lens, and a first communication contact group provided on the camera body side installation portion and connected to a communication contact group. The conversion adapter apparatus additionally includes a second communication contact group provided on the lens side installation portion and connected to the communication contact group and a conductive member that electrically connects the first communication contact group and the second communication contact group. A position of the first communication contact group around a camera optical axis and a position of the second communication contact group around the camera optical axis are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Urakami, Shoji Kaihara
  • Patent number: 8743462
    Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to concentrating daylight collectors, and in particular to concentrating daylight collectors useful for interior lighting of a building. The concentrating daylight collectors generally include a plurality of moveable reflective vanes and a Cassegrain-type concentrator section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David G. Freier, Thomas R. Corrigan
  • Patent number: 8734330
    Abstract: Described herein are various systems and methods for directing endoscopy instruments to varying positions at a target site. In one aspect, at least one instrument channel has multiple exit points at the distal end of the guide tube, and the position of an instrument delivered through the channel may be switched between the different exit points. In another aspect, an instrument channel splits into multiple branches at the distal end of the guide tube, and the position of an instrument at the target site may be changed by selectively directing the instrument into a different channel branch. In yet another aspect, the guide tube, or a portion thereof, may be rotated to reposition an instrument at the target site. The capability of changing the instrument positions during a procedure would enable a physician to examine or treat multiple target sites within an operative field, without necessitating the full retraction of the instruments or the guide tube from the operative field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Smith, Katie L. Krueger, Andrew J. Campbell, Barry Weitzner
  • Patent number: 8731391
    Abstract: A mobile device comprising a processor, a camera module, and a flash configured to generate at least one of a reduced pre-flash, a standard pre-flash and a flash. The processor, in response to receiving an image capture request, is configured to receive a brightness value and determine a flash status based on a flash setting with the flash status being one of an off mode, on mode, and auto mode. In the event the flash status is one of the on mode and auto mode, determine whether there is sufficient light to capture an image based at least in part on a comparison of the brightness value and a flash threshold. In the event the brightness value is greater than the flash threshold, cause the flash to generate a shortened pre-flash and obtain only a white balance measurement and an auto-exposure measurement during the shortened pre-flash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Cliel Yochanan Manoach Gilbert Schachter, Qian Wang
  • Patent number: 8730578
    Abstract: A sunlight coupler is provided, the sunlight coupler may include a beam integrator configured to concentrate beams of sunlight, which may be incident from a plurality of optical fibers, in the form of a single beam, a triplet lens focusing the concentrated beam on a specific position, and an optical fiber provided for transmission of the focused sunlight. The optical fiber may be a thermally-diffusion expand core fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Young Soon Heo, Hyun Seo Kang, Young Sun Kim, Hyoung Jun Park, Kwon-Seob Lim, Keo-Sik Kim, Eun Kyoung Jeon
  • Patent number: 8731392
    Abstract: A luminous unit (1) for an optical recording device (13) comprising a light source (2) for generating radiation and a partly reflective element, which is disposed downstream of the light source (2) in a main emission direction (H) and subdivides a space into a first half-space facing the light source (2) and a second half-space remote from the light source (2), wherein the partly reflective element at least partly transmits the radiation coming from the light source (2) from the first half-space and at least partly reflects the external radiation coming from an opposite direction from the second half-space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Erich Sorg, Stefan Gruber
  • Patent number: 8724218
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and related methods for reducing speckle on display screen. More specifically, screen vibration is used to reduce speckle, and in accordance with the disclosed principles, the vibration may be achieved by using wave-based actuation (e.g., acoustic or electromagnetic waves) to vibrate the screen. In an exemplary embodiment, a speckle reducing system may comprise at least one actuating element located proximate to, but not in physical contact with, a display screen. In addition, the at least one actuating element may be configured to generate waves directed towards the display screen. When the waves impact the display screen, the waves impart vibration to the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: RealD Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Curtis, David A. Coleman, Gary D. Sharp
  • Patent number: 8718460
    Abstract: A range-finding device includes: a plurality of image capturing elements that are provided at a predetermined interval; a lens that forms an image of a range-finding object on each of the image capturing elements; a distance calculating unit that calculates a distance to the range-finding object for each of a plurality of range-finding areas that are set on the respective image capturing elements based on an image signal output from each of the range-finding areas according to the image that is formed; a distribution generating unit that generates a distribution of the calculated distances; and a position specifying unit that specifies a position where the range-finding object is present in the range-finding area based on the distribution of the distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Kei Itoh
  • Patent number: 8708582
    Abstract: An enclosure assembly for a camera is designed to be mounted on the frame of an optical inspection apparatus for scanning the profile of a surface of an article moving along a travel path axis, the profile being associated with a reference axis orthogonal to a reference plane parallel to the travel path axis. The camera is part of a profile sensor unit and has an optical sensing field directed toward the travel path axis to define a scanning zone associated with the surface as intersected by the optical sensing field, the profile unit further having a laser source directing at angle with the optical sensing field a fan-shaped laser beam toward the scanning zone to define an associated scanning plane transverse to the travel path axis, to generate sensor output data related the profile of the article surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Centre de Recherche-Industrielle du Qubec
    Inventors: Richard Gagnon, Gaétan Sanschagrin, Denis Lépine
  • Patent number: 8711476
    Abstract: A screen includes a polarization layer having plural acicular particles provided with their major axes oriented nearly in the same direction on a substrate, and has polarization selectivity of reflecting light in one polarization direction and absorbing light in the other polarization direction of two polarization directions orthogonal to each other on a plane perpendicular to incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noriko Kenmochi
  • Patent number: 8711477
    Abstract: Polarization preserving front projection screens and diffusers provide optimum polarization preservation for stereoscopic 3D viewing, as well as improved light control for enhanced brightness, uniformity, and contrast for both 2D and 3D systems. Generally, the disclosed screens direct light from a projector toward viewers within a diffusion locus, while maintaining optimum gain characteristics. More specifically, light incident on a region of the front projection screen from a predetermined projection direction is reflected by an engineered surface to a predetermined diffusion locus after undergoing substantially single reflections. The engineered surface, comprised of generating kernels, is used to optimally diffuse illumination light into a range of viewing angles, within the diffusion locus, with suitable gain profile, while optimally preserving polarization for 3D applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: RealD Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Coleman, Gary D. Sharp
  • Patent number: 8693093
    Abstract: A portable projection screen system includes a foldable structure defining a viewing area. A projector mounting assembly includes first and second mounting arms spaced a selected distance apart. Each of the first and second mounting arms including a horizontal projector member located above the viewing area and extending forward of the viewing area. A vertical projector member pivotally connects to a backside of the viewing area in a plurality of positions. Each of the plurality of positions locates the horizontal projector member at a different height above the viewing area. A projector crossbar member slidably connects and moves between a plurality of positions that are each a different distance from the viewing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: LeRoy Francis Kepley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8693862
    Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device and camera apparatus upon which can be executed an improved method enable a modular camera to be used in conjunction with a flash. In one implementation, compensation parameters that are intended for use in a non-flash situation are overwritten with compensation parameters that are configured to compensate for the combined effects of the camera and the flash and are used by an embedded compensation routine executed on the camera. In another implementation, an image signal is processed by the embedded compensation routine using the original compensation parameters, but if it is determined that the image signal is a flash image signal, the image signal is further processed by the embedded compensation routine employing an additional set of parameters which compensate the image signal for the effect of the flash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Marc Drader, Michael Purdy, Ken Wu
  • Patent number: 8690762
    Abstract: A catheter configured for imaging objects substantially in focus is described herein. An imaging device is disposed on the distal end of the catheter. The imaging device has an effective focal plane that is located in front of the imaging device. The catheter also includes a transparent focal instrument that has an outer periphery that is positioned at the effective focal plane of the imaging device, to enable objects in contact with the outer periphery of the transparent focal instrument to be imaged substantially in focus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jacobsen, Fraser M. Smith
  • Patent number: 8687271
    Abstract: A display has a light source, a spatial light modulator and an intermediate spatial light modulator. The display may be a front projection display or a rear-projection display. The spatial light modulator is illuminated with light from a light source. The intermediate spatial light modulator is located in a light path between the light source and the spatial light modulator. The light source may comprise an array of controllable light-emitters. The display may provide a high dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Ajit Ninan
  • Patent number: 8687272
    Abstract: A projection screen that reduces speckle by separating reflective flakes by at least 100 micrometers. The reflective flakes are held in a binder material that is coated on a backing layer. In a laser projection system, the separation distance between reflective flakes may be at least twice the coherence length of the laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Laser Light Engines, Inc.
    Inventors: Barret Lippey, Ian Turner
  • Patent number: 8678680
    Abstract: A headrest camera mounting system, comprising, in combination a base member having a headrest end and a camera mount end and an intermediate portion there between. The base member is coupled to an upright post. There is an upright cross member having a generally rectilinear configuration being coupled to the upright post. Lastly there is a least one camera mount, with the camera mount being coupled to the upright cross member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Inventor: Mark Pelini